Another year has passed since the Syrian Civil War started in 2011 and the country remains unstable. Our partners on the ground are still working faithfully to bring hope and physical aid where needed most. They continue to meet with displaced families, the majority of whom have experienced trauma and are living in poverty as a result of the war.
In December, our partners distributed clothing (sweaters, jackets, dresses) to 523 displaced children whose families could not afford to get them Christmas gifts. One thousand Bags of Blessings (bags with essential food and non-food items that provide for a family of five for one month) were distributed to the children’s families, which helped to alleviate their monthly expenses.
The clothes and Bags of Blessings were a huge help to many families who were in need of not just aid and hope, but community and love in the midst of war and uncertainty. Here are three families who had received gifts:
Jan’s father is in the army, his mother has no work and his brother is just three months old. Jan’s mother told our partners that receiving the Bag of Blessing helped her cover a large part of what would have been her expenses for the month. In the bag there was halawa (a Syrian dessert), which Jan loved.
When Jan received the Christmas gift (sweater) at the distribution, he was very happy and excited to wear it. Jan’s mother said they were very thankful for this gift as there had been no money to buy things for him, since most of the money went toward the baby and rent.
Kalven and Elvin are siblings. Their mother does not work and their father works sporadically, except for in the winter when there is no work available.
For a short period of time, Kalven and Elvin came to the centre. Last month the family took a Bag of Blessing, which helped them out tremendously. The mother said that she would buy half a kilo of rice for cooking. And, due to the high cost of sugar in Syria, she could not afford to buy any sweets at the market. But, with the Bag of Blessing, she received rice, oil, pasta and sugar. The children were delighted because they love pasta and halawa.
The family was also pleased with the Christmas gifts they received. The mother explained that she was unable to buy Christmas dresses for her children due to the market price being too high. So, they were thrilled to receive these dresses as gifts at the distribution.
Tim, Shahab and Nabih attended the centre where Christmas distributions were happening. Their father, who is physically disabled and in a wheelchair, works at a vegetable shop. Their mother does not work; instead, she stays at home and helps the children study.
The children’s father mentioned that he had not been thinking about buying Christmas clothes because they had just given their children hand-me-downs from their relatives. When they received the Christmas gift of clothes, they were thrilled.
Upon receiving the Bag of Blessing, the mother cried and explained that she had not seen this amount of food in a long time. The boys loved the many different pastas and the rice. The family happily reported that now the children are always full and satisfied.
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